Pete Carroll discusses reception from USC fans after first being hired by Trojans
Few saw that coming when Carroll was first hired, however. At the time, he was seen as a failed NFL coach, and his hiring by the Trojans was met with much skepticism.
On Wednesday, The Athletic ran a profile of Carroll and how he continues to thrive despite his age. The story included a quote from Carroll on his reception upon his arrival at USC nearly 25 years ago.
"They were yelling at me for coming in there. They didn't want me,' Carroll said. 'I was getting a terrible response, but I took it on as, 'I couldn't care less,' because I knew where we were going and what we wanted to do. And because I figured out how I wanted to do it.'
Of course it did not take too long for USC fans to change their tone about Carroll. Less than three years later, the Trojans were national champions.
Carroll would go on to lead the program to a historic seven-year run between 2002 and 2008. Every season during that stretch, the Trojans won double-digit games and either played for a national championship or recorded a major bowl victory. While it has now been more than 15 years since he left USC, Carroll will forever hold a special place in program lore.
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